Philippians 2:25-30 NET

Philippians 2:19-24 NET

Philippians 2:12-18 NET

Matthew 4:1-4 NET

Philippians 2:5-11 NET

Philippians 2:1-4 NET

Philippians 1:27-30 NET

Philippians 1:22-26 NET

Philippians 1:20-21 NET

Philippians 1:18b-19 NET

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my situation has actually turned out to advance the gospel: The whole imperial guard and everyone else knows that I am in prison for the sake of Christ, and most of the brothers and sisters, having confidence in the Lord because of my imprisonment, now more than ever dare to speak the word fearlessly.

Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill. The latter do so from love because they know that I am placed here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, because they think they can cause trouble for me in my imprisonment. What is the result? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is being proclaimed, and in this I rejoice.

Philippians 1:12-18

I thank my God every time I remember you. I always pray with joy in my every prayer for all of you because of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. For it is right for me to think this about all of you, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel all of you became partners in God’s grace together with me. For God is my witness that I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And I pray this, that your love may abound even more and more in knowledge and every kind of insight so that you can decide what is best, and thus be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:3-11 NET

Matthew 16:15-9

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will bebound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

"Lord, you are the Messiah and you are the King. By your grace and by your Spirit, show me the depths of this truth in my heart. Help me to openly and actively be a part of this unstoppable movement you started with your death and resurrection. As you build your Church, help me be faithful to the part of that to which you've called me. I surrender to your unstoppable movement and your unfailing love. Use me for your glory on this earth. Amen."

Prompt #2

Psalm 131:1-3

"My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content. Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore."

"Lord, there are so many things in this world that I don't understand and can't control. Help me not to be to overly focused on those things, but instead to simply fixed my eyes on you in trust. I believe that you are good and you bring forth good. I trust your loving hand to guide and lead me into your perfect will. Help me to not to move or act out of any posture other than one of total trust in you."

Prompt #3

Acts 4:24-31

"When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “‘Why do the nations rage  and the peoples plot in vain?The kings of the earth rise up    and the rulers band together against the Lord  and against his anointed one.’ Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly."

"Heavenly Father, help us to focus on what is most important in this world. As the world resists your unstoppable movement, help us to trust in your power and your ability to change the hearts of those who are furthest from you. We look to your hand and to your power to lead people to your Son, Jesus."

I’d encourage you to listen to the audio if possible. But if not, here are the prayer prompts for today.

Prompt #1

Isaiah 55:8-9

“Indeed, my plans are not like your plans, and my deeds are not like your deeds,” says the Lord, “for just as the sky is higher than the earth, so my deeds are superior to your deeds and my plans superior to your plans.

Dear God, I acknowledge that you are far greater than I. You are God, you are the ruler of the whole universe. I am not. I am just a man. I do not possess the capacity to understand what you’re doing and why. I worship you for this. I acknowledge that you are directing our ways and governing our world. You are in charge…I am not.

Prompt #2

John 3:16-17

For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him.

Lord, I am sorry for attempting to boil life down to a set of rules. Forgive me for where I’ve judged others for failing to uphold my rules. I pray that you’d help me to understand that you have come to serve and love, and help me to do the same thing.

Prompt #3

John 3:8

The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

God, I embrace the mess that is your church and your body. I embrace the fact that you do not build according to a formula. You are infinitely creative and I accept and choose to enjoy my role as a passenger while you are the pilot. I trust you, and I look forward with excitement to see how you will bring your kingdom.

Then we led through a time of prayer. Check out the audio for the awesome story, but if you can’t get that, here are the prayer prompts today!

Prayer Prompt 1

Psalm 103:10-12

He does not deal with us as our sins deserve; he does not repay us as our misdeeds deserve.

For as the skies are high above the earth, so his loyal love towers over his faithful followers.

As far as the eastern horizon is from the west, so he removes the guilt of our rebellious actions from us.

Dear Father, Thank you for forgiving me for my past. Thank you for paving a way for me to experience your love and life. I am humbled…I know I don’t deserve it. I know I deserve death as my punishment…but you’ve held that back from me. Thank you God.

Prayer Prompt 2

Galatians 3:27-28

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female—for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.

God, I surrender my past and my identity. I am nothing. I want to be so full of Jesus that everything that defines me fades away. I want to know you, to know your power and to find my new identity completely in you. Take all of the old me and replace it with your Son.

Prayer Prompt 3

Isaiah 6:5-8

I said, “Woe to me! I am destroyed, for my lips are contaminated by sin, and I live among people whose lips are contaminated by sin. My eyes have seen the king, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” But then one of the seraphs flew toward me. In his hand was a hot coal he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said, “Look, this coal has touched your lips. Your evil is removed; your sin is forgiven.” I heard the voice of the Lord say, “Whom will I send? Who will go on our behalf?” I answered, “Here I am, send me!”

God, now that you’ve freed me from my past…I commit myself to your service. I surrender completely to your will. I will do exactly as you call me to do. I promise to obey you in whatever you put before me. I ask that you’d use me in the service of your kingdom. Use me to bring glory to yourself.

If you missed the sermon, it’s available on Youtube.

I invite you to pray and fast with us today. I’d encourage you to listen to the audio attached to this post to get the discussion between Kristy and I as well as the prayer experience, but if you can’t, here’s the prayer prompts in their text version!

Prayer Prompt #1

Scripture: Galatians 5:13-14

For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment, namely, “You must love your neighbor as yourself.”

Lord, you died to make us free. Help us to devote ourselves now to our new cause…service to each other. Do not let us squander what you’ve given us. Don’t let us make church all about ourselves. Remove our self-centered tendencies. Instead, I pray that we would come to our gatherings motivated to love each other and serve each other. When we come, let us be looking for opportunities to help each other.

Prayer Prompt #2

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:4-7

Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are different ministries, but the same Lord. And there are different results, but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each person the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the benefit of all.

God, I pray that you’d help each one of us to understand how you’ve gifted us. And help us to use those gifts for the benefit of others. I pray that we would find great joy in doing what you’ve created us to accomplish. Help me to stop worrying about what others are doing and instead to focus on the calling and the gifting you’ve given me.

Prayer Prompt #3

Scripture: Matthew 9:35-38

Then Jesus went throughout all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were bewildered and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest-ready fields.”

God, send workers. Send people into your field. Inspire people to move. I pray that when people look around they would see the bewildered and helpless sheep. I pray that they would be moved to volunteer and serve. I pray that they would be pushed into ministry by your Spirit. God, you’ve commanded me to pray this prayer…so I pray it. Send workers into your fields.

If you missed the sermon, it’s available on Youtube.

I invite you to pray and fast with us today. I’d encourage you to listen to the audio attached to this post to get the discussion between Darin and I as well as the prayer experience, but if you can’t, here’s the prayer prompts in their text version!

Prayer Prompt #1

Scripture: Psalm 26:4,

I do not sit with men of falsehood,nor do I consort with hypocrites.I wash my hands in innocenceand go around your altar, O Lord,

Dear Father, show me where I’ve been pretending. I realize that I need your help to see it. I’ve probably been pretending so long that I’ve fooled myself as well. Show me the truth about who I am.

Prayer Prompt #2

Scripture: 1 John 1:8-10 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

God, I confess my sins before you. I want to be very honest with you and talk to you about everything that’s wrong. I know that you don’t ask me to be perfect in my own strength. Instead, I want to talk about all the imperfections so you can redeem them through Christ’s power. Send me your Holy Spirit and do a work in my heart.

Prayer Prompt #3

Scripture: John 15:12-13 This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

God, make this true for me and my church. I pray that we would live in true community with one another. I want experience what it’s really like to live out your love in this way. I understand that it will cost me. I want to see the power of God exhibited through love in his church, no matter what the price is.

If you missed the sermon, it’s available on Youtube.

I invite you to pray and fast with us today.

Along with that, we realize that we must be praying. We are calling the whole church to a season of fasting and prayer, especially on Wednesdays. We want to see a greater movement of God, and we know that prayer and fasting is absolutely essential.

I sat down with Tyler Sterchi to discuss his message and lead us through a time of prayer.

So they took Jesus, and carrying his own cross he went out to the place called “The Place of the Skull” (called in Aramaic Golgotha). There they crucified him along with two others, one on each side, with Jesus in the middle. Pilate also had a notice written and fastened to the cross, which read: “Jesus the Nazarene, the king of the Jews.” Thus many of the Jewish residents of Jerusalem read this notice because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the notice was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The king of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am king of the Jews.’” Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

Now when the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and made four shares, one for each soldier, and the tunic remained. (Now the tunic was seamless, woven from top to bottom as a single piece.) So the soldiers said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but throw dice to see who will get it.” This took place to fulfill the scripture that says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they threw dice.” So the soldiers did these things.

Now standing beside Jesus’ cross were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. So when Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, look, here is your son!” He then said to his disciple, “Look, here is your mother!” From that very time the disciple took her into his own home.

After this Jesus, realizing that by this time everything was completed, said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty!” A jar full of sour wine was there, so they put a sponge soaked in sour wine on a branch of hyssop and lifted it to his mouth. When he had received the sour wine, Jesus said, “It is completed!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Then because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies should not stay on the crosses on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was an especially important one), the Jewish leaders asked Pilate to have the victims’ legs broken and the bodies taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men who had been crucified with Jesus, first the one and then the other. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and blood and water flowed out immediately. And the person who saw it has testified (and his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth), so that you also may believe. For these things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled, “Not a bone of his will be broken.” And again another scripture says, “They will look on the one whom they have pierced.”

After this, Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus (but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission, so he went and took the body away. Nicodemus, the man who had previously come to Jesus at night, accompanied Joseph, carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about 75 pounds. Then they took Jesus’ body and wrapped it, with the aromatic spices, in strips of linen cloth according to Jewish burial customs. Now at the place where Jesus was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden was a new tomb where no one had yet been buried. And so, because it was the Jewish day of preparation and the tomb was nearby, they placed Jesus’ body there.

John 17:6-19 NET

John 17:1-5 NET

Jesus could see that they wanted to ask him about these things, so he said to them, “Are you asking each other about this—that I said, ‘In a little while you will not see me; again after a little while, you will see me’? I tell you the solemn truth, you will weep and wail, but the world will rejoice; you will be sad, but your sadness will turn into joy. When a woman gives birth, she has distress because her time has come, but when her child is born, she no longer remembers the suffering because of her joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. At that time you will ask me nothing. I tell you the solemn truth, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive it, so that your joy may be complete.

“I have told you these things in obscure figures of speech; a time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in obscure figures, but will tell you plainly about the Father. At that time you will ask in my name, and I do not say that I will ask the Father on your behalf. For the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and entered into the world, but in turn, I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

John 16:19-28 NET

“If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you do not belong to the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you. Remember what I told you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they obeyed my word, they will obey yours too. But they will do all these things to you on account of my name because they do not know the one who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. But they no longer have any excuse for their sin. The one who hates me hates my Father too. If I had not performed among them the miraculous deeds that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen the deeds and have hated both me and my Father. Now this happened to fulfill the word that is written in their law, ‘They hated me without reason.’ When the Advocate comes, whom I will send you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me, and you also will testify because you have been with me from the beginning.

“I have told you all these things so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue, yet a time is coming when the one who kills you will think he is offering service to God. They will do these things because they have not known the Father or me. But I have told you these things so that when their time comes, you will remember that I told you about them.

John 15:18-16:4 NET

“I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me. He prunes every branch that bears fruit so that it will bear more fruit. You are clean already because of the word that I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me—and I in him—bears much fruit because apart from me you can accomplish nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown out like a branch and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire and are burned up. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you. My Father is honored by this, that you bear much fruit and show that you are my disciples.

“Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain in my love. If you obey my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete. My commandment is this—to love one another just as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this—that one lays down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves because the slave does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends because I have revealed to you everything I heard from my Father. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that remains, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. This I command you—to love one another.

John 15:1-17 NET

“If you love me, you will obey my commandments. Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept because it does not see him or know him. But you know him because he resides with you and will be in you.

“I will not abandon you as orphans, I will come to you. In a little while the world will not see me any longer, but you will see me; because I live, you will live too. You will know at that time that I am in my Father and you are in me and I am in you. The person who has my commandments and obeys them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal myself to him.”

“Lord,” Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “what has happened that you are going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him. The person who does not love me does not obey my words. And the word you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.

“I have spoken these things while staying with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and will cause you to remember everything I said to you.

John 14:15-26 NET

Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you have known me, you will know my Father too. And from now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be content.” Jesus replied, “Have I been with you for so long and yet you have not known me, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father! How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own initiative, but the Father residing in me performs his miraculous deeds. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me, but if you do not believe me, believe because of the miraculous deeds themselves. I tell you the solemn truth, the person who believes in me will perform the miraculous deeds that I am doing, and will perform greater deeds than these because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”

John 14:5-14 NET

Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow later.” Peter said to him, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you!” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? I tell you the solemn truth, the rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times!

“Do not let your hearts be distressed. You believe in God; believe also in me. There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house. Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going away to make ready a place for you. And if I go and make ready a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that where I am you may be too. And you know the way where I am going.”

John 13:36-14:4 NET

When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him right away. Children, I am still with you for a little while. You will look for me, and just as I said to the Jewish religious leaders, ‘Where I am going you cannot come,’ now I tell you the same. I give you a new commandment—to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.”

John 13:31-35 NET

Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that his time had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now loved them to the very end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, that he should betray Jesus. Because Jesus knew that the Father had handed all things over to him, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, he got up from the meal, removed his outer clothes, took a towel and tied it around himself. He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel he had wrapped around himself. Then he came to Simon Peter. Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not understand what I am doing now, but you will understand after these things.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, wash not only my feet but also my hands and my head!” Jesus replied, “The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not every one of you.” (For Jesus knew the one who was going to betray him. For this reason he said, “Not every one of you is clean.”) So when Jesus had washed their feet and put his outer clothing back on, he took his place at the table again and said to them, “Do you understand what I have done for you? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and do so correctly, for that is what I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example—you should do just as I have done for you. I tell you the solemn truth, the slave is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent as a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

John 13:1-17 NET

Psalms in 30 Days Book: https://a.co/d/7ZIiA5V

Psalm 150 NET

Psalm 149:6-7 NET

Psalm 148:7-12 NET

Psalm 147:5-7 NET

Psalm 146:3-4 NET

Psalm 145:9-10 NET

Psalm 144:7-8 NET

Psalm 143:8 NASB

Psalm 142:4 NET

Psalm 141:3-5 NET

I know that the Lord defends the cause of the oppressedand vindicates the poor.Certainly the godly will give thanks to your name;the morally upright will live in your presence.

Psalm 140:8, 12-13 NET

Psalm 139:7 NET

Psalm 138:7-8 NASB

Psalm 137:5-6 NET

* For more information on Exile, check out this Bible Project video: https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/exile/

* If you’re really a glutton for punishment, I preached a sermon on the topic of Exile last year: https://www.youtube.com/live/sZNyfePLuEk?feature=share&t=1789

Psalm 135:5-6 NET

Psalm 136:1-4 NET

Psalm 134 NET

Psalm 133:1-2 NET

Psalm 131:1 NET

Psalm 130:5-6

Psalm 129:5-6 NET

Psalm 128:3b,5-6 NET

Psalm 127:1 NET

Psalm 126:5 NET

Psalm 125:1 NET

Psalm 124:1-2 NET

Psalm 123:2-3

Psalm 122:8-9 NET

Psalm 121:4-5 NET

Psalm 120:5-6 NET

Psalm 119:33-34 HCSB

Psalm 119:33-34 HCSB